1. The First Letter (16)
The forest was silent. It was a dark road covered with leaves. Unknown flowers, grass, and even mushrooms blooming everywhere.
There were rumors that sometimes after the hunting festival, when the beasts of the forest hid their shadows, students from the Faculty of Alchemy would form groups and come to the forest. It was because the place where demon beasts were born had high magic density, so it was good to gather quality materials.
It was a worthy place. Even if you don’t do that, the forest that people don’t reach was embracing nature as it was. That said, on the contrary, it also meant that the road was not yet taken.
Not only animals but also places are tamed by people coming and going. As a more human-friendly space, as trails are created and areas are divided, the place gradually becomes familiar to people.
No matter how remote it is, if there is a village nearby, there must be at least one road. Forests are a treasure trove of resources. There was no way anyone in the village would stop going in and out of the forest.
However, this forest located south of the academy was an exception. The academy didn’t control access, but there was no reason for the students to go to the southern forest.
First of all, there is not one forest within the academy site. A small forest was also located around the dorm. There were no demons and people came in and out frequently, so it was good for taking a walk or camping.
If you wanted to go to the forest, you didn’t have to walk all the way to the south.
And even if they tried to gather materials, this was the academy. It was a place where many aristocrats attended school, and although there were not a few commoners, there were many children of wealthy merchants.
This meant that there were plenty of students willing to pay the extra for the risk. Exceptionally, students from poor commoners, such as Emma, made their way to and from the outskirts of the forest, but even such students did not travel into the depths of the forest unescorted.
In other words, the forest did not have that much traffic, so of course there were no roads. If so, the ending was one.
There were all sorts of seeds all over Seria’s and me’s uniforms. From seeds that look like fluffy to sharp seeds that look like they will sting when stabbed.
In words, it is ‘mother nature’, but as a position to come and go in it, it was a taste of death. If you were unlucky, you might get caught on a sharp tree branch and tear your uniform.
I was now walking with a half-given face. I remembered what Emma had thrown at me not long ago.
‘You pretended otherwise, so you’re a noble boy after all?’
yeah, that seems right Seeds stuck to my uniform and damp soil stuck to my pants, which didn’t feel right. Emma, a former herbalist, might have burst into laughter if she saw it.
A grown man is a motherf*cker, I couldn’t show it because I was worried that Seria would think so too.
Seria was walking without complaining. After all, Seria was already a swordsman who had participated in several demon subjugations since childhood. You’re probably used to this sort of thing.
But since I became a senior, I couldn’t show my embarrassing side. I pretended to be nothing and called Seria.
“Seria.”
“Yes, four… Seniors.”
Seria almost bit her tongue again as if she was a little nervous, but she managed to overcome the crisis. Even so, the shame of not being able to speak was still the same, her face slightly reddened.
It was an unbelievable change for a girl who had a cold look on her face just before. In fact, I’ve come to some sense now.
The reason why she maintains a blunt expression is because she doesn’t know what kind of expression to put on.
There was no need to be so nervous, but right now it seemed like there was no choice but to get closer and expect things to get better.
“Are there any signs that you feel around you?”
“… … ? Yes, I don’t feel it at first.”
Hmmm, I was lost in thought for a while along with that sound.
It had already moved quite a bit towards the deep part of the forest. If the Witchbeast were to attack the students, they had to be at least within this distance.
Of course, the forest is large. No matter how developed Seria’s physical senses were, there was still a possibility that she could get out of that gap and attack the other students.
But would the witch really do that?
In close range, there is only two prey. If they wanted to attack the students in the first place, Seria and I would be the targets as well.
The monsters were not very intelligent, except for some called ‘named’. He wouldn’t deliberately take a detour over a tasty game.
Of course, even if you have intelligence, I asked Seria in a serious voice.
“I’m sorry, but please keep your guard down for a while, and let’s rest here for now.”
“Yes, it is not difficult, but… … .”
Seria blurted out her words, as if she didn’t understand why she was telling her to stay vigilant, and why she was asking for a rest after coming so deep.
However, she soon followed my words faithfully. He hesitated and looked like he was going to ask a question, but in the end she kept her mouth shut.
It seemed to be a choice considering the fact that he had often made mistakes while talking with me recently. Because she always crossed the line between honesty and rudeness.
After all, she was a fearful woman. I sat down on a rock that happened to be nearby. I opened a canteen and drank water, and the leaves rubbed my face and the nape of my neck.
It was a pretty unpleasant experience for me living in a civilized world. But you should get used to it.
From the moment you pick up your sword, you must be prepared to take away not only the Witchbeast but also the lives of others. It was because a knife is a tool that harms something after all.
It was a mindset that my teacher forced me to brainwash as I went through harsh training as a child. It was funny when a man who was going to live a bloody life was at least reluctant to go to the forest.
At that time, a small sound leaked from Seria’s mouth, which had been closed. My eyes naturally turned to Seria.
“Me, senior?”
“Yes why?”
Seria’s body trembled involuntarily at my immediate reply. It was a subtle trembling that only my keen senses could catch. And this also meant that Seria began to look at me in earnest.
She seemed to be building common sense about human relationships through me recently. It was only natural that she had no one beside her who could be called a friend.
So, these days, I have been frequently paying attention to it. To be honest, it was a bit uncomfortable.
Do you even notice how great a person I am? However, Seria was in the same state as a child who had just come out of the world.
A naive girl who is full of curiosity but doesn’t know many things. At least in terms of human relationships, it would be the first time I’ve ever experienced it.
Therefore, every action was to be cautious. To be honest, she also needed to be a little more careful.
All I can do as a senior is to be patient and wait.
Seria asked me cautiously after a while.
“Ha, can I ask one question?”
“Of course it’s okay, the junior is asking the senior.”
Is that something special enough to ask for permission? I added that and drenched my parched esophagus with water from the canteen.
You shouldn’t drink too much. Because I had to be prepared for an emergency. I resisted the feeling of pouring water into my mouth with that thought.
If I make some money later, I’ll have to replace it with a canteen enchanted with space warping, Won. However, since anything with a semi-permanent magic imprint was expensive, that day seemed distant.
Seeing me drinking water from the canteen without saying anything, Seria seemed to have decided that it was okay to ask questions. Her charming lips opened cautiously again.
“Why did you team up with me?”
A direct, straightforward question. I closed the lid of the canteen and glanced at Seria.
Seria’s eyes seemed to be quietly sinking, but they were shaking slightly. That subtle trembling was the only way to read Seria’s emotions.
Even I, who have become very sensitive after losing my memory, noticed her habit only after spending a few days together.
Not being able to read this, people nicknamed her ‘Yurdina’s slut’.
Now that I think about it, it was pretty brutal. So I didn’t know if she cared more.
For some reason, it was okay to say that it was a senior’s cheap pity for a junior who couldn’t be left alone. At some point, there was me who couldn’t treat her as a stranger.
However, I did not deliberately lay out my thoughts word for word. It was embarrassing, but it wasn’t necessary.
“just.”
Since just two letters were enough, a look of absurdity crossed Seria’s face as she was waiting for my answer with a slightly nervous expression.
“He, he, didn’t you think you were going to make a group with your friend?”
“It was like that at first.”
Seria’s eyes became even more suspicious at my unhindered answer. she asked again.
“But why… … .”
“I told you, it’s just that.”
At the same time, I smiled and faced Seria’s gaze. Sarah’s body trembled.
“Celine is my friend, and you are my friend too. Do you really need a reason to form a group with your friends?”
To be honest, the main reason was that Seria looked very lonely at the time, but she didn’t say it on purpose because of her pride.
Seria seemed even more perplexed by my clear explanation. She was dazed for a moment, hesitated, then lowered her head to avoid my gaze.
Her small murmur reached my ears.
“Chi, friend… … .”
As if he had heard it for the first time in his life, it was a mixture of unfamiliarity and embarrassment. No matter how much it should be.
Seeing Seria say that, I asked back.
“Certainly I wasn’t the only one who thought so, was it? We’re close enough to call each other ‘friends,’ aren’t we?”
“That, that, that’s right… By the way, I… … .”
Seria stuttered in embarrassment, but soon her face turned red and she lowered her head. With a beautiful girl doing that, even that became a painting.
It was a sight to behold alone. I thought so and waited for Seria’s words to follow.
However, Seria’s words that followed were beyond imagination.
“… … Friends, what are you doing?”
I had no choice but to freeze.
Seeing my absurd gaze, Seria hesitated as if embarrassed and avoided my gaze. What are your friends doing?
Yes, we hang out together, play around, and eat together. There was no standardized pattern. However, Seria seemed to sincerely not understand, so I had to groan for a while.
What should I answer? No matter how much I thought about it, no suitable answer came to mind.
“Hey, it’s just like now. The two of us talk, go for walks together, and say things we can’t say to others… We spend such precious time together.”
“Divide, share, share… oh.”
Seria opened her eyes wide as if something had come to her mind. She asked me in a serious tone.
“Come to think of it, I heard that close friends share gifts.”
“Well, there are times like that.”
It doesn’t happen that often, but since I wasn’t wrong, I nodded and agreed. Then Seria’s expression became more serious.
“That, then. Should I give you something in return for Senior Ian being a friend?”
“… … What?”
I was so dumbfounded that I asked back, but Seria seemed to take it as an agreement. she murmured, bewildered.
“Ji, I don’t have anything right now… If you go back to the dormitory, somehow… … .”
“No, because it is not… Then it becomes an employment relationship rather than a friend, huh?”
Contrary to his appearance, he was a troublesome junior. I had to touch my forehead and explain ‘friend’ to her a few more times.
Seria seemed to have managed to come to terms with the fact that she didn’t have to give me anything. It was still a little puzzling, but at least you wouldn’t bring that up in front of me again.
I decided to be satisfied with that. Anyway, if you gradually get to know her, Seria will also come to know. That there are relationships in the world that cannot be converted into money.
However, it seemed that Seria still had questions. She asked me cautiously as I was sighing deeply.
“That, senior?”
“Uh, why?”
Fatigue was evident in my voice as I answered her. It was because she was tired of Seria’s lonely temperament, which exceeded expectations.
I wasn’t angry. Then Seria might shrink even more.
However, there was such a wish that she would ask a sensible question.
Seria asked a slightly more normal question, as if the god Arus recognized my wishes.
“Then, since we’re friends, can I ask a slightly rude question?”
It was a question to the extent that the ignorant Seria would say ‘Excuse me’, and to be honest, I was a little curious at this point.
I answered her without thinking.
“Yes, ask.”
After my permission was granted, the last hesitation I felt from Seria disappeared. she asked me right away.
A soft, clear voice.
“Is it because of your friend?”
So, as if I had been hit by an unexpected blow, I had no choice but to stiffen my body.
My gaze, which had been scratching the ground as if I had given up, turned to Seria. Her dark blue eyes were deep and still. As always.
“Did you come all the way here because your friend was attacked in this forest?”
That question, like an arrow shot by a first-class marksman, pierced me right in the middle.